1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing technique that reconstructs image data in which the focus state of a captured image is specifiable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, imaging apparatuses referred to as a “light-field camera” have been practically implemented. The imaging apparatus divides incident light into multiple light components by a micro lens array arranged on an image sensor so that the imaging apparatus can obtain light beam information by capturing light traveling in a plurality of directions. After shooting, the imaging apparatus executes predetermined calculation processing based on the intensity of light and the light incident direction so that an image with any focal distance and any depth of field (hereinafter collectively referred to as “focus information”) can be configured. The advantage of the light-field camera is that any image can be configured by executing calculation processing after shooting by utilizing light beam information.
On the other hand, a user can freely perform a file operation such as a deletion operation or the like to image files stored in a storage device of an image display apparatus. A technique for displaying another image during deletion processing for deleting an image is known. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-289065 discloses a technique for setting a protect flag to a multi-viewpoint image acquired by an imaging unit and recording the multi-viewpoint image when performing shooting in a multi-viewpoint image capturing mode. Since it is determined whether or not a captured image is a multi-viewpoint image captured in the multi-viewpoint image capturing mode during a deletion operation so as to protect a captured multi-viewpoint image data, the deletion/editing of an image cannot be made without permission. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-159357 discloses a technique that is capable of adjusting the depth of field of an image or adjusting an image blur after shooting.
However, when a user performs a deletion operation for an image captured by a light-field camera, image data may accidentally be deleted without confirming a desired focused image if the image data is processed by the specification of focus information by the user.
Although the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-289065 prohibits the deletion of multi-viewpoint image data without permission, the technique does not determine whether or not a focused image being displayed is an image which is desired to be confirmed by a user upon deletion. In order to prevent a user from deleting a desired focused image without confirmation, the user needs to separately perform a confirmation operation of a desired focused image after a warning is made.